For this feeling of wonder shows that you are a philosopher,
since wonder is the only beginning of philosophy.

Wednesday, 27 April 2016

Lines from Endymion: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

What
idea/ theme is presented in the poem “Endymion”?

The idea presented in the poem is that beauty
is immortal. An object of beauty always gives pleasure and that pleasure never
fades. The poet finds beauty in all the things of life, be it nature, human
history or literature. For the poet all these are source of immense joy.

What,
according to the poet, binds us to the earth despite unhappiness?

OR

Judging
from the opening lines of Endymion what things of beauty did Keats find most
inspiring?

Our
world is full of sorrows and gloom. There is a dearth of noble people in the
world, and there are many real causes of unhappiness; however, despite all
these, some beautiful object of nature, such as the sun; the moon; the trees,
young and old; the clear springs; the forest; the flowers, or some grand
man-made structures and great stories of great heroes in literature etc lift
the dark clouds from our soul. It is the beauty of these objects that inspires
us and binds us to this earth.

How
do the “dooms” evoke a sense of beauty in the poet’s mind?

OR

Explain
the lines “all lovely tales, we have heard or read… from the heaven’s brink.”

The
dooms remind us of the heroic deeds of the dead. We invent fine stories about
the dead heroes and drive pleasure from it. These stories evoke a sense of
beauty in the poet’s mind as well as the readers. The lovely stories about the
mighty people of the past that we have read or heard increase our knowledge as
well as give us joy. This knowledge about the great countless personalities is
like an endless fountain of knowledge, which is falling over us, from the brink
(edge) of heaven. It is this knowledge which is endless and which is never
destroyed with the passage of time. This knowledge enriches us and delights us.

Why
does some shape of beauty move away the pall or gloomy environment? Discuss
with reference to Keat’s lines from Endymion.

We
wreathe a flowery band to bind ourselves to nature or in other words, Earth. In
spite of the discomfort caused by anger and trauma, which are the very
qualities of one's inhuman nature, or even one of those gloomy unhealthy days
and ways, our eyes always wander for beauty in all this, and drive away the
saddened state. As tiny beacon of light is to the darkness, same is the case with
glimpse of beauty to all the unhealthy and over darkened ways of life.

What,
according to Keats, is the main source of joy in the poem "Endymion"?

OR

What
does John Keats mean by "A thing of beauty is a joy forever" in the
poem" Endymion"

OR

What
things of beauty did Keats find most inspiring in the poem Endymion?

OR

What
is the theme of the poem Endymion?

The
first line "A thing of beauty is a joy forever" contains the theme of
the poem. According to the poet, beauty is immortal. It might change its shape but it never passes
into nothingness. An object of beauty always gives pleasure and that pleasure
never fades. The poet finds beauty in all the things of life, be it nature,
human history or literature. For the poet , some beautiful object of nature,
such as the sun; the moon; the trees, young and old; the clear springs; the
forest; the flowers, or some grand man-made structures and great stories of
great heroes in literature et are source of immense joy. These beautiful
objects lift the dark clouds from our soul. It is the beauty of these objects
that inspires us and binds us to this earth.

Give
the central idea of the lines from Endymion.

In
these lines poet John Keats says that every beautiful thing is the source of
everlasting joy. As the loveliness of beautiful objects increases with the
passage of time and there is no fear of its being over, a thing of real beauty
gives us a pleasure and peace similar to that of a pretty garden sound sleep
and s good health. He also goes on to say that when a person experiences peace
and serenity, there is no doubt that he will always have sweet memories and
dreams and a sense of blissfulness fills in.
Finally, he goes on to say that when every aspect of life tends to bring
you joy, then we must not forget our final phase of life, where we tend to rest
forever, death. We must not lose heart, for there is an endless fountain of
immortal drink, pouring onto us from the Heaven.

Explain
the lines:

A
thing of beauty is a joy for ever:

Its
loveliness increase; it will never

Pass
into nothingness; but still will keep

A
bower quiet for us, and a sleep

Full
of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

In
the lines given, the poet admires the permanent impacts of beauty. The poet
believes that a view of beauty brings joy and happiness to one’s senses and
feelings. It’s pleasant impacts do not fade or die but keep on growing and
increasing. A view of beauty gives soothing impacts and relieves from the
agonies and anxieties of life. It proves to be a source of comfort, relief and
fulfilment. In fact, beauty stands for all the virtues and goodness of life. It
is such an angelic force which fights against the vices of the world. Beauty,
at length, successfully overcomes ugliness and proves its metal due to its
positive approach towards life.

Explain
the lines:

Spite
of despondence, of the inhuman dearth

Of
noble natures, of the gloomy days,

Of
all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways

Made
for our searching: yes, in spite of all,

Some
shape of beauty moves away the pall

From
our dark spirits.

In
the lines, Keats speaks of the ugly aspects of life. He comments that human
life is thronged with bitterness and miseries. There are disappointments and
frustrations. The poet opines that all the vices and negative things come under
the head of ugliness. The poet, while speaking of evils, appears to be quite
optimistic about the force, strength and validity of beauty. He mentions that
human life is, at times miserable. There are troubles and tangles. The whole
course of living is overlapped with the thick layer of grief and sadness. But
at length, beauty supersedes and the forces of evil are eliminated. A time
comes when ugliness retreats and happiness and joy dominate.

Explain
the lines:

And
lovely tales that we have heard or read;

An
endless fountain of immortal drink,

Pouring
unto us from the heaven’s brink.

In
the lines, the poet has widened his canvas in the portrayal of beauty. Side by
side with the beauty existing in the world, he speaks of the people who are
eclipsed behind dark cover of death. History is replete with the tales of
magnificent achievements of these dead heroes. Centuries ago contributions made
by these great people prove to be the revitalizing force for all generations.
Their day to day narratives keep on inspiring succeeding generations to carry
on the war against all kinds of evils. As beauty is a heavenly thing, the
heaven is full to its brims with everlasting beautiful objects. This
everlasting beauty is overflowing from the edge of the heaven into this world
without fail and gives us an immortal joy.